Remains of 111 Mile House on the CWR

SAFETY & LIABILITY Safety is an important concern in all outdoor activities. No guidebook can alert you to every hazard or anticipate the limitations of every reader. Therefore, the descriptions of roads, trails, routes, and natural features in this book are not representations that a particular place or excursion will be safe for your party. When you follow any of the routes described in this guide, you assume responsibility for your own safety. Under normal conditions, such excursions require the usual attention to traffic, road and trail conditions, weather, terrain, the capabilities of our party, and other factors. Keeping informed on current conditions and exercising common sense are the keys to a safe, enjoyable outing.

New Pathways to Gold Society

This guide is funded by the New Pathways to Gold Society (NPTGS) as part of its Waggon Road Restoration Project initiative.

93 CHAPTER THREE

100 MILE HOUSE TO

We acknowledge that much of the land discussed in this chapter is located on the unceded territory of the Secwepemc (Shuswap) Nation, which includes Tsq’Escen’ (Canim Lake Band), Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation (Canoe Creek/Dog Creek Bands), Xatsull Cmetem’ ( Indian Band) and T’excelc (Williams Lake First Nation).

In this chapter, the route offered for cycling and trekking of the Cariboo Waggon Road (CWR) includes sections of the original road and will be considered the main route. The route offered for motorists on Highway 97 will be considered the alternate route. This will be reflected in all mileages. Ground truthing is not complete on this route.

Distance from to 150 Mile House: by bicycle or on foot via CWR route – 79 km. Distance from 100 Mile House to 150 Mile House: by motor vehicle via Highway 97 – 75 km. Distances do not include any side trips. Cell service: There is coverage throughout this section of the CWR. Elevations: 100 Mile House, 927 m; 150 Mile House, 760 m; 108 Mile Airstrip, 955 m. Road surfaces: pavement, hard packed gravel, dirt tracks. Connections: The closest large centre to 100 Mile House is Williams Lake (97 km).

Modern photographs by the author unless otherwise noted. Historic photographs from BC Archives unless otherwise noted. District Lot surveys from BC government website, specifically the application GATOR: Government Access Tool for Online Retrieval. Online maps from Bing and Google Earth.

IMPORTANT NOTE Actual mileages in the guide may differ between your pedometer, your cycle computer, apps (such as GAIA, or Relive), our vehicle odometer and official highway mileages. Keep this in mind when using our guide for your travels. Many variables come into play, depending on: what side of the road you ride on, GPS signals, bumps, ditches and construction. This applies to country roads, two-lane tracks, as well as highways. It is not an exact science.

Bridge Creek in the early years of its settlement 94

Bridge Creek House, 1868 Photo by Frederick Dally

HISTORY OF THIS SECTION OF THE ROUTE 100 Mile House was known in the early years as Bridge Creek, for the creek that ran through the area. It had its roots during the fur trade when the Hudson’s Bay Company used Bridge Creek as a camping spot on its Brigade Trail route. Then gold fever hit and thousands began using this trail to head up to the gold fields of the Cariboo Mountains, to places like Richfield, Antler Creek, Grouse Creek, Lightning Creek and . The CWR came through here in 1862, as part of G.B. Wright’s contract with the government (supervised by the Royal Engineers) to provide access to the mining district up north. The early name for the road at that time was, “ to Alexandria Road” and “Wright’s Road.” The CWR’s original route from 100 Mile to 150 Mile snaked along, back and forth across what is now Highway 97. In other places, the route of Highway 97 was laid directly on top of the CWR roadbed.

100 Mile House features • Unceded territory of Secwepemc (Shuswap) Nation; nearest band is Tsq’escen’ at Canim Lake • Originally known by HBC and gold rushers as “Bridge Creek” • 100 Mile House named for its mileage from Lillooet at the original Mile 0 of the wagon road • Population: 1980 (as of 2016 census) • Founded: 1862 • Incorporated: 1965 • Grocery stores • Gas stations • Accommodation • Restaurants/cafes • Recreation: hunting, fishing, boating, horseback riding, cycling, hiking, skiing, golfing, swimming, bird and wildlife watching, snowmobiling, dog-sledding, snowshoeing For more information, visit: https://southcaribootourism.ca. IMPORTANT NOTE This mileage includes the route from Lillooet to Clinton, described in Chapter One, and the route onward from Clinton to 100 Mile House, described in Chapter Two.

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BX Express special trip to 100 Mile House, 1900

The South Cariboo Visitor Centre on Highway 97 is the starting point for the next lap of the journey along the CWR. On this section of the route, the CWR is directly underneath Highway 97 much of the time, though there are a few locations where cyclists and trekkers will be directed off pavement. The visitor centre has public facilities for tourists. Fill up on water.

WARNING FOR ALL CAMPERS & TRAVELERS You cannot safely drink water from lakes, ponds, streams, springs, rivers and creeks in BC, as they are likely contaminated by the Giardia parasite. You must boil or filter the water first.

If you think you may have become infected with this parasite, visit: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthlinkbc-files/giardia-infection, or check into the nearest health clinic.

100 Mile House map today Modern development has obliterated all traces of early settlement at Bridge Creek 96 km 163 Elevation: 930 m 100 Mile House. South Cariboo Visitor Centre, 155 Wrangler Way. Explore the area or continue north on Highway 97 to the intersection of Birch Avenue North and Exeter Station Road. The CWR is buried underneath 100 years of development. Little exists here of the original road except the name and route through town.

Yellow-headed blackbirds are frequent nesting species in 100 Mile Marsh by the visitor centre

Original buildings at 100 Mile House (Bridge Creek) in 1929; it burned to the ground in 1937 km 163.7 Elevation: 924 m Intersection. Birch Avenue North and Exeter Station Road. For CWR side trip, turn left. If side trip is not of interest, continue north on Highway 97 to 103 Mile Lake Road.

SIDE TRIP TO CWR ON OLD GOLF COURSE Turn left. Travel up Exeter Station Road 230 m. Turn right/north, following road to right into old parking lot of abandoned Marmot Ridge Golf Course.

97 Cyclists and trekkers, continue along side of building to grassy area where original route of CWR is visible going through golf course ahead. Motorists, park and explore the area on foot. Follow track/trail as far as Ducks Unlimited site at 101 Mile Lake. Ground-truthing has not been done on this area. Beyond 1010 Mile Lake, the CWR heads into private property, where access has not been granted to trespass. Return to intersection of Highway 97 at km 163.7. Turn left/north. Continue on Highway 97. Note odometer reading to make sense of upcoming mileages.

Amy Newman on the CWR at old golf course, 100 Mile House Photo by Richard Wright km 168.1 GPS: 51˚40’58.25” N 121˚18’36.11” W Elevation: 935 m Junction. 103 Mile Lake Road. Turn right. CWR follows route through what are now suburban properties. km 169.1 Elevation: 897 m Junction. Dawson Road. Turn left, heading northwest to junction of Highway 97 and Odian Road.

IMPORTANT NOTE In next section of CWR, ground-truthing has not been done. Proposed route for cyclists and trekkers only, travels through private property. Seek permission from landowners as you approach property if you wish to continue along route. Motorists must continue north on Highway 97 at Dawson Road junction. km 171 GPS: 51˚42’17.12” N 121˚9’05.17” W Elevation: 888 m Junction. Odian Road. Highway 97 ahead. Turn right on Odian Road. It appears as driveway just before intersection. Follow about 155 m. Head left onto dirt track to continue on CWR. Dirt track parallels highway heading north.

98 km 171.6 Elevation: 894 m Junction. Back Valley Road. Original location of 105 Mile House. CWR makes jog 20 m to right/ east, crossing Back Valley Road. Continue heading north on dirt track. Road generally runs parallel with highway for next 2 km. There are a few dips and curves, but the route is easy to follow, as there are no other roads or junctions on the route. 105 Mile Lake is on opposite side of Highway 97.

105 Mile House with CWR and (what was later named) Back Valley Road in the background. No original structures remain today, though one building was moved to 108 Mile Ranch Heritage Site.

CWR traveling on either side of ranch buildings (as usual), before new highway, circa 1940s

99 km 173.8 GPS: 51˚43’41.21” N 121˚19’35.86” W Elevation: 943 m CWR continues ahead 1 km, crosses private property. No access at this time. Southside 108 Tunnel to the right. Cross through tunnel to other side, west of Highway 97. Look for path/track running north between airstrip and Highway 97. Follow path ahead north 1 km. km 174.8 Elevation: 948 m Route heads into lightly treed area to join up with CWR heading north. Follow road as it eventually angles towards airstrip, runs along right/east side until airstrip ends. Road continues straight ahead through belt of trees to junction.

Amy Newman on CWR between airstrip and Highway 97 near 108 Mile Ranch Photo by Richard Wright km 175.9 Elevation: 942 m Junction. Moneeyah (or Moneeyaw) Road and Cariboo Drive. Continue straight on Cariboo Drive, winding through neighbourhood. Elevation gradually drops. Steep downhill section. Continue through junction of Telqua Drive to historic site/rest area.

108 Mile House, 1867 100 km 177.3 Elevation: 890 m 108 Mile Ranch Heritage Site. CWR continues north on Highway 97. Explore these historic buildings, which have been brought together from various locations around the region to create this interpretive site. For more information, visit: https://historical.ca/history. This site has public facilities for tourists. Fill up on water.

Beautiful map by John Morris, Engineer, 1863 Proposed wagon road route to Horsefly, Antler Creek, Grouse Creek, Willow River Land Surveys Branch of Victoria

Across the highway from 108 Mile Ranch, a series of backroads follow the Mitchell Trail to Horsefly and beyond to the Cariboo Mountains, including Barkerville, (though not named yet when map was drawn), with minimal elevation gain. At this writing (Feb 2021) the route has not been ground-truthed, but will be presented as an alternate CWR route in the future. You can also access this trail system from 111 Mile (Spring Valley Road) and 122 Mile (Timothy Lake Road). For more information on hiking & biking trails in this area, look for Colin Campbell’s guidebook, “Trails of the Southern Cariboo”, published by Rocky Mountain Books. 101 km 181.5 Elevation: 840 m Junction. Spring Lake Road. Original location of 111 Mile House. Continue north on Highway 97. This is a great opportunity to explore the area with its existing barns and cabins, as the site is one of very few with remaining original structures still standing. Thanks to the owners of the property for allowing people to traverse these historic grounds.

District Lot 191 with 100 Mile House location and CWR running through it. Highway 97 sits directly on top of old CWR roadbed

111 Mile House and CWR running through it, 1904

Harry Jones, a Welsh miner, wrote in July of 1863 about his experience at 111 Mile House: “I was traveling on a Sunday and if any bad luck was coming to me, I was afraid it would occur on this day. I reached the 111 Mile House early in the evening without mishap. This was a neatly built place, both inside and out… From within a hundred yards of the House I could see no smoke from the stovepipe. The door was shut, and no one appeared to be stirring about. The two cows in the yard were the only signs of life. I decided these were religious people, for the place looked like a home in Wales on a Sunday. It was a few minutes before I could summon up the courage to knock, for I was afraid they would not approve of my traveling on a Sunday. But when the door opened I was met with smiles, for the proprietor and his wife were very nice people. There was no reference to Sunday. They assisted me with my pack, and after a good supper I went to bed with a light heart.” 102

Sunset over buildings at 111 Mile House Photo by Richard Wright

Part of the Mitchell Trail can be explored in a loop journey. This route has not been ground-truthed

The map above shows one of many side trips that may be explored, as you travel the CWR. The route heads east on Spring Lake Road, at 111 Mile. It makes a loop and continues on the west side of Highway 97 around 108 Mile Ranch, then makes its way north, back to 111 Mile.

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Downy woodpeckers are common throughout much of BC, including the route of the CWR. On left is the male and right, the female; she lacks the red patch on her head km 186 GPS: 51˚48’10.78” N 121˚26’0.43” W Elevation: 847 m Location of 114 Mile House. Nothing remains of the site today. The original CWR skirts the hillside to the east and south, but it crosses private property and access permission is not in place at this time. km 190.1 Elevation: 821 m Junction. Lac La Hache Station Road on left. Entering Lac La Hache. There are many stories regarding the origin of the name, Lac La Hache, or Lake of the Axe. One tells of a French Canadian fur trader who dropped his axe in the lake as he tried to cut a hole in the ice for fishing. Another tells of a packhorse loaded with axes in a Hudson’s Bay brigade that drowned in the lake. Billing itself as “The Longest Little Town in the Cariboo,” the community of Lac La Hache stretches along the entire 19 km length of the lake. It’s an area of ranches, resorts, vacation homes, restaurants, a provincial park, ski hill, garlic festival and lots of opportunities for recreation: swimming, boating, jetskiing, skating, ice fishing, snowshoeing, skiing, nature walks. For more information, visit: https://www.travel-british-columbia.com/cariboo-chilcotin-coast/cariboo/lac-la-hache. Cyclists, note the nearest bike shop is in Williams Lake or 100 Mile House. km 190.3 Elevation: 820 m Original location of 115 Mile House. CWR continues along Highway 97. This is an historic spot for First Nations peoples and Europeans who followed. The southeast hillside of Lac La Hache was an important area to both Secwepemc (Shuswap) and Tsilhqot’in (Chilcotin) people for fishing and trading. Groups would gather here for annual games in the natural amphitheatre. Tsilhqot’in’s named the lake Kumatakwa, which translates as “chief” or “queen of the waters”. Research indicates many First Nations burials are under homes along the lakeshore. Later, the site was an important camping spot for the Hudson’s Bay Company during the fur trade, then for early prospectors of the Gold Rush, such as Peter Dunlevy, James Sellars, Tom Manifee, Ira Crow, and Tom Moffitt, who camped here and met Secwepemc guides, Tomaah and Baptiste, in 1859. These men told them about gold in Horsefly River and later guided them there. Later, both Sellars and Dunlevy married First Nations women and had families, whose descendents are still in the region today. It is therefore a spot pivotal to the development of the Cariboo. 104

Lac La Hache with First Nations fishing camp; these areas were later taken over by European settlers Photo courtesy of the Forbes Family

McKinley’s Ranch along CWR at 115 Mile, 1910

Lot 4 was the fourth lot in the Lillooet land District, located prior to their being a Land branch of any kind, so Judge Begbie registered pre-emption of Archibald McKinley (1811-1891). McKinley was a chief factor with the HBC and retired here to farm. Later in life, he was appointed Indian Commissioner and, “…in this capacity, Archibald McKinley was, for many years, a wise and hard-working advocate for Native peoples in the Cariboo.” Branwen Patenaude, Trails to Gold, Volume Two

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District Lot 4 was settled by Archie McKinley, his wife, Julia (Ogden), and their large family

Lac La Hache (aka McKinley Pioneer) Cemetery Photo by Richard Wright

In 1915, a surveyor, A.S. Cotton, wrote to the surveyor general regarding this region. “… I proceeded to the 115 Mile House and found everybody busy harvesting… The building of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad has made a wonderful change all along the old . A few years ago all the freight was hauled over this well-known route from Ashroft, and countless freight-wagons were seen going to and fro. Today it is vastly different as all now goes by rail to Prince George. The completion of the Pacific Great Eastern [Railroad] will still more reduce the traffic, thus compelling the ranchers to turn their attention to farming, and judging from what I saw this season, they should not have any fear. All those who tilled their land were well repaid, as there was a banner crop from one end of the road to the other…” km 190.7 McKinley Drive on left. Ahead .2 km is Ogden Road on right. km 191.1 Junction. Timothy Lake Road. Another link to the Mitchell Trail system (see km 177.3). Road goes through more populated area now. Continue on Highway 97. 106 While there are no sizeable, traversable sections of CWR left in Lac la Hache (most of road paved over by Highway 97), there are several stops of interest and short sections where travelers are strongly encouraged to get off bikes, out of cars and explore this historic, important stopping point along the road. There is an intact section of CWR in Lac la Hache Provincial Park and a number of properties where access issues can be readily resolved. Watch for updates in future editions of the guide.

Map portion drawn by “Sapper”, i.e. Royal Engineer, James Turnbull, Nov 14th, 1860 Drawing based on sketches by Judge Begbie from his travels km 194.5 Elevation: 823 m Felker Homestead on left, is on the list of Canada’s Historic Places. Constructed in 1884, the house and outbuildings used to be on the other side of the Highway. In the late 1990s, the highway was being widened and the buildings set to be destroyed. The BC Heritage Trust took up the fight and thankfully, an idea was floated by one of the Trust board members, to pick up the buildings and move them to a safe spot opposite their original location. The board member with this novel idea was Richard Wright.

The Felker Homestead on Highway 97 Photo from Historic Places.ca 107 From the Statement of Significance: “The buildings were relocated and placed in their original configuration on the new site. The historic place also includes the surrounding hayfield. The Felker Homestead is valued as an example of the mixed farming lifestyle, which provided farm products for the Cariboo goldfields and sustained early settlers of the Lac La Hache area. It is also valued for its place in the series of roadhouses and ranches along the historic CWR. The house…and other ranch buildings are valued as examples of the typical construction methods and architectural designs of the time. The Felker Homestead is currently valued as a community gathering place and festival site.”

The Felker Homestead main house Photo by Phil Johnston

The Felker Homestead was listed on the Canadian register of Historic Places in 2013. For more information, visit the Felker Historic Homestead page on Facebook. km 195.7 Elevation: 840 m Junction. Dirt track on right. Cyclists and trekkers can get off Highway 97 here for a breather from highway travel. Or continue on Highway 97. This detour has not been ground-truthed. Turn right off Highway 97 onto dirt path. Follow path about 40 m through trees to dirt road. Turn left. Follow .8 km to Dodge Road as it joins from the right. Continue 2.3 km, then rejoin Highway 97 at junction. Both detour and Highway 97 should be about the same mileage as they run parallel for much of the distance. km 199.5 Junction. Forbes Road on left. Highway hugs the lake as it continues north. In some places, it’s about half a km to the lakeshore, while ahead, it’s a mere 30 m to the water, a scenic route indeed. When researching and ground-truthing the CWR, it’s fascinating to learn about how the road known today as Highway 97, may have simply begun as a track in the wilderness that someone put in to get to the best water, or the best hay. Early people have used certain routes since time immemorial. In 1915, a land surveyor, Drewey, wrote about the idea of roads being created just by people making them, one step at a time. “It may be said that the whole country is accessible, to a greater or less extent, by means of the old trails used by Indians and trappers, and which have long existed. They are not travelled frequently, and we improved many this year by cutting the numerous windfalls with which most of them were encumbered. In the better-settled portions, where a few settlers are using the same route, it is not long before a pack-trail is converted into a wagon-road. I so converted several this year myself.”

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Aerial map of Lac La Hache with historical markers of interest

122 Mile House with early BX Express Winton 6 autos and travelers, 1913 km 200.3 Elevation: 814 m The original site of 122 Mile House. Today it is a café, now permanently closed.

District Lot 348 and the original site of 122 Mile House

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Kokanee Bay, across from 122 Mille House, Lac La Hache Photo by Richard Wright

Across from the original site of 122 Mile House (150 m ahead) is Kokanee Bay, one of only two public lake access sites along the whole stretch of Lac La Hache. The other public access is ahead at Lac La Hache Provincial Park. km 205.1 GPS: 51˚51’34.14” N 121˚38’27.00” W Elevation: 826 m Junction. Lac La Hache Provincial Park turnoff. The CWR continues along Highway 97. Park established: 1956 Park size: 24 ha Number of campsites: 83 (check pandemic restrictions for physical distancing at campsites) Day use area: opposite campsites on lakeshore This campground is convenient to the lake and amenities in town. There is an intact section of the CWR inside the park, along one of the interpretive trails. Wildlife in the park includes moose, black bears, mule deer, pine martins, lynx, flying squirrels and chipmunks. Birdlife includes bald eagles, ospreys, red- tailed hawks, pileated woodpeckers, northern flickers, saw-whet owls, red crossbills, chickadees and nuthatches. For more information, visit: http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/laclahache/.

Black-capped chickadees are common all year round along much of the CWR. They eat sunflower seeds at birdfeeders; in the wild their diet includes a variety of seeds 110

Northern Flickers are common wherever ants are found throughout BC. This bird is a female as she lacks mustache stripe and red crescent on nape km 207.5 GPS: 51˚52’24.70” N 121˚39’57.76” W Elevation: 817 m Junction. Wright Station Road on left. Continue north on Highway 97. On the left is the San Jose River, which empties into Lac La Hache. This Spanish name shows more influence of the Mexicans who came to BC and worked as packers during the Gold Rush. On early maps this river was known as Riviere de Columetza (or Columneetza), presumably named by the French Canadian fur traders in the area. Research indicates this was the name (bastardized by the fur traders) of a First Nations chief, “Kulemnitsé” whose name comes up in early fur trade documents from Fort Alexandria. After St. Joseph’s mission was established in 1872, the Spanish-speaking packers began using the nearby grasslands as a stopping place for their animals, and they called the river after the mission — San Jose or in English, St. Joseph’s.

Station names of the PGE Railway in the Cariboo region 111 km 208.9 Elevation: 799 m Location of 127 Mile House, aka Blue Tent Ranch. Continue north on Highway 97. Nothing remains at the original site today, as the most recent house was moved up the hill, thanks to highway re-alignment and widening. There have been many owners of this property since the first settlers, gold seeker Henry Felker, his wife Antonette, and family came to the Cariboo from Germany. They first sought gold in California (and did very well), eventually making their way to this plot of land just north of Lac La Hache in 1862. They set up a blue and white striped army tent where they lived and kept a saloon until they built a permanent log roadhouse, called for many years the Blue Tent Ranch. It became a popular stopping place on the road north and by 1864, they also had a dairy producing milk, cheese and butter, which Felker sold up in the goldfields at Williams Creek. Disaster struck when Felker was involved in a fight at a saloon in Richfield with a man who was fatally stabbed. Felker was charged with attempted murder and ended up being tried by Judge Begbie. The jury brought in a verdict of not guilty. It was suggested by Begbie at the time, that the jury let Felker off because he was a purveyor of important food supplies which were necessary to them on Williams Creek. Though he came away a free man after the trial, Felker and his family lost the property and it reverted to E.T. Dodge & Company, a freighting company who held the mortgage.

Crown Grant survey of DL 216, including 127 Mile House and CWR running through it

127 Mile House, 1867 112 Another owner of 127 Mile House was the Wright family. William Wright, an Overlander of 1862, purchased the property in 1867 and he and his wife, Catherine ran it briefly before his death in 1870. Catherine sold it to her stepson, John Wright, but this arrangement went sour. Through many complicated transactions over the years, John Wright and his wife, Alice, eventually became the owners of 127 Mile House in 1880. They operated the roadhouse and ranch through many challenging economic times with the help of their twelve children. Wright Station was named for this family. The original roadhouse burned to the ground in 1904 and a second house also, during WWI. The property has since passed to other hands.

127 Mile House and a 10-horse team – CORRECTION – old Pollard Ranch, Clinton

At recent guide update (Mar 2021) historian Mike Kennedy’s research proves this location to be the old Pollard Ranch near Clinton. BC Archives information is out of date and inaccurate here.

127 Mile House, 1950s

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END OF PHASE ONE RESEARCH FOR CARIBOO WAGGON ROAD ROUTE 113 Phase 1 of the Cariboo Waggon Road Restoration Project covers Clinton to 127 Mile House on the Cariboo Waggon Road. In writing the first version of this guide, we made the decision, for travelers’ convenience, to note mileages up to 150 Mile House. More research and ground-truthing is necessary to complete this section of the guide. As Phase 2 funding is approved, this chapter and further chapters of the guide heading north will be researched, ground-truthed and written. km 210.4 Elevation: 792 m Pullout on left. Remains of CWR on left next to San Jose River.

CWR traveling through private property Lots of flooding of the San Jose River in the spring of 2020

Amy Newman and Richard Wright studying the giant maps of the CWR. Maps were prepared for NPTGS by Frits Nijholt to aid in locating and ground-truthing the route km 213.3 Old barns on left. km 215.1 132 Mile Lake on left. B&B. CWR on left through private property. Maze Lake Road on right. 114

Sandhill Cranes nest in this area km 215.6 Elevation 132 Mile Post. This was never a roadhouse, just a milepost along the route. km 218.1 Elevation Pullout on the left. “To the Goldfields” signpost. km 223.1 Elevation Enterprise Road on left. An alternate route to Dog Creek. km 223.8 Elevation Location of 137 Mile House. One of the last remaining roadhouses. km 228 Elevation 730 m Off the Highway to the left is the grave of Tom Clegg. Original mileage was about 140.5 on the CWR. Tom Clegg and Captain Joe Taylor were employees of a freighting business, E.T. Dodge & Company (see 127 Mile House at km 208.9). In the summer of 1863, they were heading south (on horseback) with gold they had been collecting on behalf of the firm. They stopped at Davidson’s Roadhouse at 150 Mile overnight. Fred Glennard and Willie Armitage met in Barkerville. They were down on their luck, also heading south (on foot), in search of opportunity. They also stopped at Davidson’s Roadhouse overnight. The next morning, Clegg and Taylor continued south and were ambushed by Glennard and Armitage. Tom Clegg was shot and died on the spot, victim of a robbery gone wrong, the thieves escaping without the gold. They had robbed the wrong man, as Capt. Taylor had all the gold in his saddlebags. 115

The grave of Tom Clegg on the old CWR at Mile 140

A reward of $2500 (about $50,000 today) was offered for the capture of Glennard and Armitage, who was caught after 3 weeks on the run. He was arrested and escorted to Lillooet for trial. First Nations men found Glennard’s body a few days later, on the banks of the . He had drowned two weeks earlier trying to swim across the river. It was a dramatic end for Armitage, the son of an English baronet, who was hung in Lillooet on November 24th, 1863. He left behind his wife of seven years, a hurdy-gurdy dancing girl on Williams Creek. Tom Clegg was buried where he died and his grave can still be seen today near 140 Mile on the CWR. km 228.5 Knife Creek Road. Formerly a route to Horsefly. km 229.1 Original location of 141 Mile. km 231.3 Location of CWR to the right has been confirmed. No access yet. Rolling grasslands; beautiful gold grass, some conifers, a few aspens and birches here. km 233.4 Ranch road to right. km 235 Amarillo or Rodeo road. km 236 142.9 Big meadow road on the right. Mission road and reserve. 4 lane highway here. km 240.5 Restaurant and fuel. Pigeon Road on right. km 240.9 Old schoolhouse on right.

116 km 241 Old courthouse here. It has been moved back from its original position to a location farther from the highway. km 241.2 150 Mile Creek and store here. km 242 Elevation: 760 m Junction. To the right is the Horsefly, Likely Road and original CWR over Mountain House Road. Otherwise, stay on Highway 97 for accommodation in Williams Lake (15 km).

150 Mile House with pack train

150 Mile House on the Cariboo Waggon Road Y-junction with options to Williams Lake or Horsefly – 150 years ago 117

Cariboo Waggon Road at 150 Mile Creek, 1946

WATCH FOR FUTURE EDITIONS OF THE GUIDE WHICH TAKE US NORTH TO THE GOLD FIELDS OF THE CARIBOO MOUNTAINS AND BARKERVILLE!

For information on the Stanley to Barkerville section of the CWR, visit Friends of Barkerville www.friendsofbarkerville.ca www.facebook.com/Friends-of-Barkerville-Cariboo-Goldfields-Historical-Society

CWR south of Barkerville

Dan Cox and Richard Wright on the original CWR near Stanley 118